I admit it. I used to get frustrated by all the “stuff” she kept. Mom was born during the Great Depression, and many folks in that age group are either packrats or hoarders. She was somewhere in between. Visits usually consisted of non-stop work helping her organize her house, change light bulbs, or wash her clothes. Particularly in the last several months she got more and more ill, she could do less for herself and the work increased. But this is what we do for family.
It was a busy week preparing for the funeral while cleaning her house for one last time, hoping to find and save the things she (and we) held precious. My brother took the week off and sorted her office, while I tackled the bedroom. Friends also came to help pack the collectibles and sort through boxes; we could not have done it without them! We had a lot of “ooh” and “ahh” moments as we unpacked the boxes, in addition to an unexpected Avon party. While sorting and reminiscing, my brother and I found pictures, pins, trophies, certificates, letters, and plaques that indicated various roles and accomplishments in her life.
Dancer… Bus driver*… Girl Scout leader… Mother of three… Avon representative… Missionary… Bowler with thirteen pins increased confirmed on a vintage trophy from the Women’s International Bowling Congress (this impressed the funeral director as he explained this is a difficult feat)… Fun Aunt**… Insurance agent… Collector… Olan Mills Top Salesperson… Church secretary… AT&T employee of the month… Ordained Minister in the Church of God in 1988… Earned Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral Ministries the following year… Life Member of Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranch where she was chaplain for a few years… Life Member of Women of the Church of God… Grandmother to six… Great-grandmother to three… Associate Pastor in several churches across central Florida… Designated Mother of the Year in 2013, Eustis First Church of God…
These are just the ones we found. There are probably many others.
While these are all indications of my mother’s successes, the greatest accolade doesn’t come with a plaque, or a trophy, or an award, certificate, diploma or statistic. By the 200+ nativity scenes displayed throughout her home, it was clear to me she held One Person as the most near and dear. It wasn’t her family, her friends, or her church leaders, co-workers or others. As she said so emphatically in the hospital, her best friend was Jesus and she couldn’t wait to meet Him. But she wanted others to know Him as well. Her main mission in life was to introduce people to Jesus.
In her mid-40s she felt God calling her to ministry, so she went back to school and got her degree in pastoral ministries and became an ordained minister. I recall many conversations where she would tell me of an opportunity she had to share Christ with someone that week, or that day. Or she would share the points from a particularly impactful message she had preached. Sometimes I only half-listened as the stories would stretch from minutes to hours. She wasn’t boasting. She was sharing because she was thrilled that someone else would enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, or grow closer to Christ because of her ministry. Church members confirmed her impact at the funeral, when they reiterated specific points from some of her sermons. How many pastors can say that?
She made such an impression at Life’s Choices where she volunteered her time for a season, that one of their employees came to the viewing to pay her respects and tell us what a blessing she was on their ministry. She performed their first and only wedding on site for a couple who decided to make things right and raise their unborn child as a married couple. She saved a life and a family that day.
Her faith was strong. Most of her ministries were volunteer or for very little pay. Yet she knew God would take care of her. We worried; but she never did. People were always amazed at how the Lord took care of her, sometimes at the last minute, but He always came through.
In retrospect, I now realize what a legacy she has left behind. Her house may have been filled with stuff, but it’s just “stuff.” It’s temporal. Her focus was not on the things in her house or making money. Her mission was eternal. Her life touched so many; her greatest accomplishment includes the number of children she bore for Christ. She truly is mother to many. I imagine when she entered the pearly gates she enjoyed hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
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*Mom drove the second church bus at Grand Avenue (now Towne Boulevard) Church of God, in Middletown Ohio. They were known for having a very large bus ministry, bringing in over 1,000 children every week; I remember when it got started with my mom and a few others. I remember spending many Saturdays walking the neighborhood, inviting children to come to church the next day. She was a kid at heart, and children always held a special place in her heart as well. She would plan great events at the church, and her involvement at the church was always strong.
When we would bring friends home to spend the afternoon they would ride the bus with us as we made our rounds. A long time friend sent me this message while we were living in the hospice house.
“To Connie: I want you to know that I have thanked God for your life and the impact it has had on mine. Every memory I have of you includes a smile on your face and in your heart – – and laughter! My favorite memory is of you singing songs with us while driving the church bus and sometimes stomping your feet or honking the horn to go along with the song. Every time I do something like that in the car with my son I think of you! I will look forward to the day when we can hug and sing and share more laughter together. Until then. . .peace to you, dear, dear one. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.”
We may never know which children came to the Lord as a result of her bus ministry, but I am sure there are many.
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**One of my cousins also sent me a message. Each time I would receive a text from a friend or family member, I was once again impacted by the lives she touched. We reminisced through our conversation, and she offered encouraging words during the difficult days. She asked me to thank mom for all the wonderful memories she has with her and me. She remembered the fun parties mom would throw at our house on McKinley Street, in Middletown Ohio. We lived in a brick house in the typical cookie-cutter, midwestern neighborhood, with a front porch and an open-door policy. All the neighborhood kids would play on the street, while their moms sat inside our house and talked. A large cherry tree lived in the backyard, offering shade in the summer and bushels of cherries to family and friends.
My cousin felt compelled to share what was on her heart, because she remembered Mom always made things fun and included the kids in the festivities. She would lead fun games for the children, like eating crackers and seeing who could whistle first, or sitting in a circle and calling out numbers until we all messed up and cracked up laughing. The kids would make up skits and put on a show for the grown-ups, or make up dances to the tunes from her piano lessons. We moved to a farm when I was seven, where the fond memories continued. We wandered through the woods to a creek on our property, where we would swing on the vines and drop into the creek. I remember looking for crawdads underneath the slick rocks in the creek, although I would never eat them.
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À la prochaine (Until next time) …